Friday morning news - June 17, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington.

NATO to boost its forces, equipment on eastern flank » NATO leaders announced Thursday that they’ve shifted more troops and weapons to the eastern flank of the alliance, a move meant to ensure Russia doesn’t get any ideas about moving further to the west. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin:

AUSTIN: Our allies have activated NATO’s defense plans. They’ve deployed elements of the NATO response force, and they’ve placed tens of thousands of troops in the eastern areas of the alliance.

Leaders at a NATO meeting in Brussels said they’ve placed more than 40,000 troops under the alliance’s direct command, mainly on the eastern flank.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this will mean more “forward-deployed combat formations”…

STOLTENBERG: To strengthen our battle groups in the eastern part of the alliance, more air, sea, and cyberdefenses, as well as prepositioned equipment and weapons stockpiles.

This week’s meeting of defense ministers came ahead of a larger NATO summit in Madrid later this month.

European leaders gather in Kyiv, pledge support to Ukraine » Stoltenberg also said NATO is stepping up its military support to Ukraine.

And that came as leaders from several European countries gathered at a round table in Kyiv. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher reports.

SCHOLZ: [Speaking in German]

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his country plans to provide rocket launchers specifically requested by Kyiv.

And French President Emmanuel Macron promised truck-mounted artillery pieces.

Germany and France have faced criticism for their reluctance to send arms to Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion.

Both countries, along with Italy and Romania, also voiced support for Ukraine’s move to join the European Union.

Sholz declared—quote—“Ukraine belongs to the European family.”

The European Commission is expected to officially endorse the country’s “candidate” status today. But whether the union will ultimately grant membership to Ukraine remains uncertain.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

House panel probing Capitol riot highlights alleged pressure on Pence » Members of the House committee probing the Capitol riot gathered for another public hearing Thursday.

They accused former President Trump of pushing then–Vice President Mike Pence to reject the 2020 election results.

The panel played recorded testimony of several people who were in the Oval Office on January 6th of last year and overheard a phone call between Trump and Pence.

The president’s daughter Ivanka Trump testified…

IVANKA: The conversation was pretty heated.

And former aid to President Trump Nicholas Luna testified…

LUNA: In my memory, I remember hearing the word wimp. Either he called him a wimp; I don’t remember if he said you are a wimp, you’ll be a wimp; wimp is the word I remember.

Others said they heard more profane language.

Former counsel to the vice president Greg Jacob told members that rejecting the election results would have created a constitutional crisis.

JACOB: A constitutional jump ball situation, political chaos in Washington.

Members also sought to show that Trump’s pressure on Pence led rioters to try to attack the vice president and led to the storming of  the U.S. Capitol.

But the panel may not swaying the court of public opinion.

A poll by Politico and Morning Consult after the first day of hearings last week showed the spectacle wasn’t having the effect Democrats intended. The percentage of Americans who blame Trump for the riot steadily declined over the past 18 months and edged even lower after the first televised hearing.

Baby formula plant closes again » Abbott Nutrition’s baby formula plant in Michigan shut down again, this time due to extreme weather. This comes just two weeks after the plant reopened.

The facility closed in February due to unsanitary conditions. And that closure largely fueled a nationwide shortage of baby formula.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said they hope to see the plant back up and running soon.

CALIFF: The estimate is perhaps two weeks, but it’s too early to give an exact estimate of what the delay will be in the Sturgis plant.

Califf said Abbott “has revved its other plants and is currently meeting the supply production quotas they were using before the shutdown.”

Jane’s Revenge » A violent pro-abortion goup declared “open season” on pro-lifers in an online post on Tuesday. The group, known as “Jane’s Revenge,” calls for vandalism and other crimes against pro-life centers to pressure them into shutting their doors.

The group bragged about vandalizing and firebombing more than a dozen pro-life pregnancy centers across the U.S., including a facility in Wisconsin.

Micah Pearse works at Wisconsin Family Action’s facility in Madison.

PEARCE: Early on, Dave, one of our staff members, reminded us in just the first few hours of realizing we had a Molotov cocktail thrown through our office, he said ‘now’s a really good chance to remember to love your enemy.’

The group has no plans to stop. It declared—quoting here—“We have demonstrated in the past month how easy and fun it is to attack. Eventually your insurance companies, and your financial backers will realize you are a bad investment.”

I’m Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org.

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